Month: June 2014

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world..” John 16:32-33

Persecution is real, persecution of the faithful has never stopped, persecution is happening, and persecution is coming…

Throughout the world, Christians are imprisoned, their property is stolen, their families are taken and given to others, they are being tortured, hanged, beheaded, and their meeting places are burned to the ground.

We have had it soft in the “west”, but the tides are turning.  The western governments are redefining who and what is “tolerable” and what is a “hate crime”.  The popular so-called “christian church” is liberalizing and redefining “christianity” then ridiculing anyone who upholds the Bible as the true authority.

Popular churchianity already compromises in every form and fashion in the name of being trendy and cool.  They already compromise for the love of money to keep the “tithes” rolling in.  They already compromise, capitulate, and apologize at the least bit of resistance from popular culture.

If they cannot stand when times are good and easy, how can they stand in the day of true persecution?

Jesus comforted His disciples by telling them in advance that persecution was coming, so that they would be prepared for it when it did happen.  So that when they were undergoing tribulation, they would remember He had already overcome the world, take comfort from that fact and endure through to their reward.

What is the “church” doing to prepare members for the persecution to come?

Are we prepared to truly trust the Lord to be our provider when we can no longer buy from the grocery store and feed our family without the mark?

Are we prepared to stand and not compromise our beliefs when they are unpopular?

Are we prepared to stand and not compromise our beliefs when we are threatened with imprisonment?

Are we prepared to stand and not compromise our beliefs when we are threatened with torture?

Are we prepared to stand and not compromise our beliefs when they put a gun to our heads?

Are we prepared to stand and not compromise our beliefs when they put a gun to our spouse’s or child’s head?

text out of context in isolation from co-text is a pretext to false doctrine

God is almighty, omnipresent, and omniscient.  

There are many who twist the meanings of the terms ordinance and sacrament.  When I use the terms I differentiate between them as follows:

a) A sacrament is a work that contributes to or necessary for salvation.  If an institution portrays a religious activity as a requirement for salvation, then it is a sacrament regardless of what they call it otherwise.

b) An ordinance is merely an outward expression of something that has already taken place internally and spiritually.  The two ordinances identified in scripture include immersion (baptizo) and the “Lord’s supper”.

Jesus was immersed to fulfill all righteousness and believers throughout the gospels, the book of Acts and the first century church were immersed as an outward testimony of their belief.  They weren’t saved by immersion, but immersion was an expression and testimony to others of their salvation.

The same with perceiving the body and blood of Messiah represented by the unleavened bread and wine used in the Passover Sedar meal.  Jesus instructed “As often as you do this, this do in remembrance of me” and Paul goes on to say that we should not partake of it unless we understand this representation (1 Cor 11:23-27)